North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme

Transcription

1 North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme Ahmed Meyaki Strengthening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia and Swaziland North-South Local Government Studies 5

2 Ahmed Meyaki ISBN (pdf) ISBN (book) The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities Helsinki 2010 The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities Toinen linja 14 P.O.Box 200 FI Helsinki, Finland Tel Fax

3 North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme Programme overview The North-South Local Government Programme is coordinated and administered by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, the AFLRA (Suomen Kuntaliitto in Finnish) and funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. An initiative of the Association, the programme was launched in The overall objective of the Programme is to strengthen the capacities of local government to provide basic public services and to promote good governance and local democracy, all by taking into consideration the principles of sustainable development. The aim is also to raise awareness of development issues, tolerance and development education. The Programme supports co-operation between Finnish local governments and local governments in Southern countries (OECD/DAC list). The geographical focus in is Africa. The Programme also carries out research and organises training on local government issues and the decentralization process taking place in African countries. This study is part of the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme s publications. For more information please visit: (In English) (In Finnish) Guidance and expertise from the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) This study was guided and supervised by Mr. Heikki Lunnas, Director information society unit. Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 3

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5 Contents Programme overview 3 Preface 7 Acknowledgement 8 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations 9 1 Introduction and Background to the Study Motivation for the Study Aims & Objectives Methodology Limitations 14 2 Theoritical Study Use of Certain Concepts and Terms The Case for E-Government in Local Government Administration Local Governments as Fertile grounds for ICT Application Key Concepts Critical success factors for E-Government Front Office Versus Back Office E-Government Interaction Models Benefits of E-Government E-Government Development Phases E-Inclusion E-Government Tools and Technologies Proprietary vs. Open Source Software (OSS) Measuring E-Government 26 THE SOUTHERN COUNTRIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 29 3 Ghana Background and Government Geography and demography Economy ICT Landscape Ghana Telecommunications Profile Other ICT Statistics The Ho Municipality E-Readiness Analysis for Ho 34 4 Tanzania Background and Government Geography and Demography Economy ICT Landscape Tanzania Telecommunications Profile Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 5

6 4.6 Other ICT Statistics The Mwanza Local Government E-Readiness Analysis for Mwanza 42 5 Kenya Background and Government Geography and Demography Economy ICT Landscape Kenya Telecommunications Profile Other ICT Statistics The Nyahururu Local Government E-Readiness Analysis for Nyahururu 51 6 South Africa Background and Government Geography and Demography Economy ICT Landscape South Africa Telecommunications Profile Other ICT Statistics The Local Government of Tshwane Moses Kotane Local Government E-Readiness Analysis for Moses Kotane 61 7 Namibia Background and Government Economy ICT Landscape Namibia Telecommunications Profile Other ICT Statistics The Windhoek Local Government E-Readiness Analysis for Windhoek 67 8 Swaziland Background and Government Geography and Demography Economy ICT Landscape Other ICT Statistics Mbabane Local Government E-Readiness Analysis for Mbabane 74 9 Summary Conclusions and Recommendations 76 References 78 Appendix

7 Preface The aim of this study is to provide the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) and other stakeholders with information and documentation to clarify E-Government concepts and strengthen the understanding of both Northern and Southern partners about the e-readiness of the Southern Local Governments (LGs). The specific objectives of the study are: 1. To provide basic knowledge on the concept of E-Governance, its use and importance to society. 2. To provide information on the efforts of the governments of the southern countries at creating a conducive environment for E-Governance 3. To investigate the e-readiness of the southern LGs The results from this study provide information that can assist in planning development cooperation activities in the field of E-Governance and propose possible E- Government applications that could be used to enhance good governance and equality in the southern LGs. The study is composed of a theoretical overview and studies of six local government administrations in the six Southern Countries of Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. The theoretical overview aims to demystify E-Government concepts and establish synergy between the objectives of the cooperation and the promise of E-Government. Additionally, it emphasises the local government level as the level where the impact of ICTs on the relationship between governments and citizens can be most effective. The country studies presents the existing environment in which E-Government will be implemented. This part was divided into two sections-first an environmental scan of the ICT landscapes of the Southern countries followed by profiling of the municipalities in the context of their e-readiness. Many observers have argued that in the 21st century, Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) are the engine of economic and social development. Some have even gone further to argue that there are scenarios in which aspects of poverty will not be successfully addressed without sufficient emphasis on information and communication processes and the use of ICTs to facilitate them. The UN Millennium Declaration advocates for efforts to ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication technologies... are available to all. Finland has responded to this call and has made it a major aspect of its development policy. The AFLRA as part of its North- South Local Government Programme supports the integration and strategic use of ICT in development cooperation between Finnish and Southern local governments in order to achieve development goals. The overall objective of the programme is to forge co-operative relationships between Southern and Finnish local governments (LGs) to build the capacity of the local governments in order to enable them provide services, advance good governance and administrative practice as well as promote participatory democracy and sustainable social, economic and environmental development. E-Government as the use of new information and communication technologies by governments as applied to the full range of government function. An effective E- Government programme can improve the way in which public services are delivered, Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 7

8 knowledge is utilised, policy is developed and implemented, citizens participate in governance, and public administration reform and good governance is met. Today, the growing participation of the in the information society and their awareness and competence to use IT has led to increasing demands on local government authorities to improve their service provision, governance mechanisms and communication to the people through ICT. As such, municipalities have considerable potential to assist in the process of integration of ICTs into the daily lives of its citizens. It is the aim of the author that this study will be read and used in relation to the objectives above, and that the recommendations will serve as valuable input for actors and stakeholders of the North South Local Government Programme of the AFLRA, as well as others involved in development cooperation, for the promotion of E-Governance as an enabler for good governance, democracy and equality. Acknowledgement Many people have contributed to the coming into fruition of this study. First of all I would like to thank my superior Ms Heli Liikkanen of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) for providing valuable guidance and support during the writing process. This work would not have been possible without the the inspiration and guidance of Mr. Heikki Lunnas, Director of the Information Society Unit of the AFLRA. My sincere thanks to my colleagues Karita Immonen, Siru Aura and Suvi Kuusi for their support during the research process. I would also wish to express my sincere thanks to a wide range of stakeholders from Ghana, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya and Swaziland who participated in this study by giving their time to answer the questionnaires and share their knowledge and experience on various components of the e-readiness of their respective local governments. I would also state my immense appreciation to Mr. Mazin Yassin and Ms. Zainab Musah for their contribution and support during the whole process. Finally, many thanks are due to Ms. Sika Menka for her contribution and help during the final stages of this work. 8

9 List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line AFLRA Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities AIDS Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome AM Amplitude Modulation ANC African National Congress BBC British Broadcasting Corperation BCCs Business Communication Centers CCK Communication Commission of Kenya CIA Central Intelligence Agency CLCs Community Learning Centers CTMM City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality CTO Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation DCE s District Chief Executives E-BANKING Electronic Banking E-COMMERCE Electronic commerce E-GOVERNANCE Electronic Governance E-GOVERNMENT Electronic Government FLOSS Free/ libre and Open Source Software FLT.LT Flight Lieutenant FM Frequency Modulation G2B Government to Business G2C Government to Citizen G2E Government to Employee G2G Government to Government GCCN Government Core Communications Network GDP Gross Domestic Product GIS Geographical Information System GLO-1 Globacom 1(Sub marine communications cable which is a cable system along the west cost of Africa, between Nigeria and the UK. The sub-marine cable system is 9800km long and became operational in 2010 with a minimum capacity of 640p/s. GPRS General Packet Radio Service GPS Geographical Positioning system GT Ghana Telecom HIV Human Immuno Deficiency Virus HSPA High Speed Packet Access HTML Hyper Text Markup Language Hypertext Transfer Protocol IBM International Business Machines ICASA Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ICT Information and Communication Technologies ICT4D Information and communications Technologies for Development Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 9

10 ICT4AD IMF IP IPTV ISPs IT KANU KPTC MPCU MS WORD MTN NARC NCA NGO NRI ODM OECD PDA RFID SACU SAP SAT-3/WASC SMS SPTC TC TCRA TP&TC TTCL TV UN Unisys WEF WiFi WiMAX WWW Information and Communication Technology for Accelerated Development International Monitoring Fund Internet Protocol Internet Protocol Television Internet Service Providers Information Technology Kenya African National Union Kenya Posts and Telecommunication Corporation Municipal Planning Co-ordinating Unit Microsoft Word Mobile Telecommunications Network National Rainbow Coalition National Communications Authority Non Governmental Organisation Networked Readiness Index Orange Democratic Movement Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Personal Digital assistant Radio Frequency Identification Southern African Customs Union Systems Application Protocol South Atlantic 3/ West Africa Submarine cable Short Messaging Service State-Owned Posts And Telecommunications Operator Telecenter Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority Tanzania Posts and Telecommunications Corporation Tanzania Telecommunication Company Television United Nations A worldwide information technology company World Economic Forum A trademark for the certification of products that meet certain standards for transmitting data over wireless networks. Is an IP based, wireless broadband access technology that provides performance similar to /Wi-Fi networks with the coverage QOS (Quality Of Service) of cellular networks. World Wide Web 10

11 1 Introduction and Background to the Study Many observers have argued that in the 21st century, Information and Communication technologies (ICTs) are the engine of economic and social development. Some have even gone further to argue that there are scenarios in which aspects of poverty will not be successfully addressed without sufficient emphasis on information and communication processes and the use of ICTs to facilitate them 1. ICTs offer tremendous potential to raise the standards of living and enlarge opportunities for individuals, communities, countries and regions. In particular, ICTs present an opportunity for geographically remote and poor communities whose access to information and social services can be dramatically enhanced through ICTs. The Commonwealth Telecommunications organisation (CTO) asserts that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) connectivity is the most economical and efficient option for African Governments to ensure an all-inclusive development of their citizenry 2. However, the great opportunities offered by these new technologies remain largely unexploited in Africa. While there has been global progress in improving access to ICTs and creating awareness of their potential, access to these technologies remains extremely uneven with ICT productivity being to a large extent, confined to developed countries 3. The resultant digital divide, characterized by highly unequal access to ICTs, manifests itself clearly in Africa and therefore needs to be addressed by national policy makers as well as the international community. To deal with this problem, the UN Millennium Declaration advocates for efforts to ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication technologies... are available to all 4. Many developed countries have responded to this call and have made it a major aspect of their development policy. Development policy contributes to the global effort to eradicate poverty through economic social and ecological development 5. Consequently, huge investments are made globally in ICT as an undisputed and essential component of international development cooperation. It is within this set-up that the North-South Local Government Programme of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) operates. The overall objective of the programme is to forge co-operative relationships between Southern and Finnish local governments (LGs) to build the capacity of the local governments in order to enable them provide services, advance good governance and administrative practice as well as promote participatory democracy and sustainable social, economic and environmental development. The programme was launched in 2002 as an initiative of the AFLRA. It presently (October 2010) involves 17 partnerships (linkages) between the Finnish and Southern LGs. During the next programme period ( ), much emphasis will be placed on the principles on good governance and equality. 1 ICTs for Democracy Information and Communication Technologies for the Enhancement of Democracy with a Focus on Empowerment, Sida, 2009, 2 Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, 3 E-Government in Africa: Prospects, challenges and practices, Kitaw Yayehyirad, 2006, egov/paper/e-government_in_africa.pdfhttp://people.itu.int/~kitaw/egov/paper/e-government_in_africa.pdf) 4 World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva 2003-Tunis 2005, com04html 5 Finland s development Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, 8&contentlan=2&sculture=en-US Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 11

12 1.1 Motivation for the Study 12 Municipalities as part of public administration are the closest link between the people and public administration, and are specifically oriented to local affairs, which are those that are the most interesting to the local population. As a result, the relationship between citizens and local authorities tends to be one based on proximity. The interests at stake include those related to issues such as public services, urban development, education, public transport, environmental concerns and local politics. 6 Today, the advantages of using information Technology (IT) have become increasingly notable through the growing participation of the citizens in the information society and their awareness and competence to use IT. Hence the increasing demands on local government authorities to improve their service provision, governance mechanisms and communication to the people through ICT. It is at the local government level that the impact of ICTs on the relationship between governments and citizens can be most effective. In line with its objective of forging cooperative relationships with the Southern LGs, the North-South Local Government Programme of the AFLRA set itself out to explore ways in which ICTs could be leveraged in the existing and future cooperation between Finnish and Southern Local Governments (LGs). This is especially interesting in the light of great positive impact that application of ICT in government operations (e-government) can have for enhancing the capacities of governments to live up to demands of good governance. It is well known that Finland is a highly developed information society and Finnish local government authorities have great experience in their use of ICTs to provide welfare services for their residents. It would therefore be highly beneficial for Finnish local governments that are involved in the North-South Local Government Cooperation Programme to bring their knowledge and experience to bear on the partnerships. Some of these linkage programmes are already involved in some ICT cooperation projects where E-Government solutions are used to promote citizen empowerment and inclusion. Some cooperation partners are also planning to add E-Government related projects to their activities. Meanwhile, efforts are already being made at central and local government levels in various African countries to implement E-Governance programmes and projects, which are seen as an appropriate means of ensuring transparency, accountability, performance and efficiency in managing public services and handling governmental affairs. To this end, governments are setting up national ICT policies, putting critical information online, automating administrative processes and interacting with their citizens through online services, albeit very humble beginnings 7. The timing is therefore right to investigate the status of ICT use in the Southern municipalities to see how the integration of ICT as a major component of the programme could be leveraged to achieve the objectives of the cooperation. However, E-Government is not easy. It involves change, which can encounter resistance from embedded bureaucracies. Civil servants and citizens must be consulted and will likely require education. All these and many other challenges stand in the way of realizing the full potential of E-Government 8. As a first step, it is extremely important for any local government authority to have a clear concept of the subject before embarking on the transformation journey. In the same vein, development partners that wish to partner Southern countries on this path would have to understand the various intricacies involved in the overall concept of E- Government. 6 Kunstelj M. and Decman M. (2005) Current State of e-government in Slovenian Municipalities The Electronic Journal of e-government Volume 3 Issue 3, pp , available online at 7 Curriculum Guide on E-Governance for African Government Institutions, Africa Training and Research Centre in Administration, UNESCO, 8 Infodev, E-Government Toolkit, 2008;

13 1.2 Aims & Objectives 1.3 Methodology The overall goal of this study is to provide the AFLRA and other stakeholders with information and documentation to clarify E-Government concepts and strengthen the understanding of both Northern and Southern partners about the e-readiness of the Southern LGs. This would go a long way to help in determining which E-Government applications and solutions could be employed to achieve the objectives of the cooperation. Moreover, with E-Governance being a new area, even employees who have computer skills need to be trained to fully understand how it works, how to use it and how to fully integrate it in governing systems for improved and faster public service delivery and democratic purposes. The specific objectives of the study therefore are: 1. To provide basic knowledge on the concept of E-Governance, its use and importance to society. 2. To provide information on the efforts of the governments of the southern countries at creating a conducive environment for E-Governance 3. To investigate the e-readiness of the southern municipalities 4. To suggest, aspects of E-Government that could be incorporated into the various linkages. The study was mainly conducted through desk research involving a review of emerging literature on ICT for development, E-Government in general, and the application and use of ICTs in Africa in particular. A questionnaire was also administered electronically to solicit the views of respondents on key e-readiness indicators with regards to their municipalities. The study was in three phases. A presentation of the basic concepts of E-Government and their use in local government administration was covered. This was to demystify E-Government concepts and establish synergy between the objectives of the cooperation and the promise of E-Government. Additionally, it was to strengthen the understanding of both the northern and southern partners on the concept of E- Governance. Most of the concepts were extracted from the E-Government Toolkit for Developing Countries published by the United Nations, and other sources online. Next, was a study of the existing environment in which E-Government will be implemented. This part was divided into two sections-first an environmental scan of the ICT landscapes of the Southern countries followed by profiling of the municipalities in the context of their e-readiness. The goal was to depict a wider picture of the national context (national ICT policy, extent of liberalization of the ICT market, legal framework, ongoing projects, infrastructure etc.) and the specific situation of the respective municipalities by collecting data relevant to key factors affecting the adoption of E-Government (literacy, governance and telecommunication infrastructure). The national level study was conducted with information from various sources on the internet, particularly from the CIA world fact book 9 and the Index Mundi website 10. The local government level study was done by finding information on the municipalities on the internet on issues such as local government administration, economic activity, population etc.). The preparedness of the municipalities to participate in the global information society was gauged by administering a questionnaire to coordinators and officers of each of the linkages participating in North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme in 2010 to answer. This questionnaire assessed the 9 The World Fact Book, the CIA, Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 13

14 1.4 Limitations community s maturity across a series of ICT indicators that are considered as key in facilitating development and delivering broad ICT-related benefits. The results from this study provide information that can assist in the planning of E-Government development cooperation activities involving the Southern countries. It also proposes possible future areas where local government services can be enhanced by ICTs. This study experienced some limitations. 1. Some of the documents reviewed were published by national governments and seemed a bit spiced up. Great efforts were made at obtaining very objective assessments of the ICT landscapes of the countries by taking into account the fact that some of the documents were spiced up and therefore needed to be assessed critically. Even so, a few of these might have escaped the scrutiny of the researcher. 2. There was the lack of information on certain countries and municipalities. Even though it was the intention of the study to provide the same kind of information on each of the countries and the municipalities for the sake of consistency, it was difficult to achieve this. This was largely due to unavailability of electronically published information on those issues. In some cases where the information was found, they tended to be slightly outdated. This limitation notwithstanding, the study was to a large extent able to provide the reader with the general situation of the issues in focus. 3. Thirdly, the questionnaires were sent to only a few numbers of people even though this was already anticipated during the study design. Our aim was more to give an indication of the general situation on the ground within the municipalities rather than a precise situation which would have required a different research approach. Related to the above was the limited time in which the study was conducted. The whole study was conducted in four months and there was limited time for respondents to fill in and send back the questionnaires. Some municipalities also responded late. Probable lack of ICT skills or limited connectivity of some of the local governments limited the response rate. 4. Conducting the study from remote location in Finland whiles all the municipalities under investigation were in faraway Africa, obviously hindered the opportunity to observe and obtain firsthand information that could not be found online, or in any written publication. 14

15 2 Theoritical Study 2.1 Use of Certain Concepts and Terms In this study some terms have been used nearly synonymously and in a broad sense. It therefore useful to take note of these terms and recognize that they are used as such only for the purpose of this study. IT: Stands for Information Technology, and is pronounced I.T. It refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies 11. ICT: According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 12, ICTs cover internet service provision, telecommunications equipment and services, information technology equipment and services, media and broadcasting, libraries and documentation centres, commercial information providers, network-based information services, and other related information and communication activities. People/ Residents/ Citizens/ Inhabitants: Used nearly synonymously in this study to refer to persons living in a defined geographical area or under the jurisdiction of a particular government local or national. Local government/ Municipality/ Municipal Government/ Local administration: Used nearly synonymously in this study to refer to government of the affairs of counties, towns, cities etc., by locally elected political bodies. Developed country/ Northern Country: In this study the Human Development Index (HDI), which combines an economic measure, national income, with other measures, indices for life expectancy and education is used as the criterion. This criterion would define developed countries as those with a very high (HDI) rating 13. Developing Country/ Southern Country: According to the criterion above, this would define developing countries as those with a very low HDI. 2.2 The Case for E-Government in Local Government Administration Governments around the world are recognizing the value of E-Government. The need for E-Government finds its genesis into broader factor pertaining to good governance. Governance primarily refers to the manner in which power is exercised by governments in managing a country s social and economic resources. Good governance involves a multifaceted approach and application of ICT is one of the important enabler of good governance 14. Not surprisingly, therefore, policymakers and managers are looking to adopt E- Government in countries around the world ranging from the most developed to the least developed. It has also been recognized that in any setting, public or private, small or large, the efficient use of information and communications technology (ICT) can significantly improve institutional and organizational performance. This is also true for Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) (1999). An Overview of ICT Trends and Policy in Africa. UNECA: Addis Ababa E-government Toolkit for developing Countries, UNESCO 2005, Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 15

16 16 public administration and governance where ICT can simplify procedures, accelerate communication and facilitate decision- and policy-making Local Governments as Fertile grounds for ICT Application 2.4 Key Concepts Local governments are fertile grounds for the application ICTs. They are at the front lines of government in their service-oriented interaction with the public and business, often in transaction based systems with many, interlinked components. As such, local governments have considerable potential to assist in the process of integration of ICTs into the daily lives of its citizens 16. Municipal operations from an information technology perspective can be divided into three areas: 1. internal, 2. intra-governmental, and 3. external (with the public). Many of these operations benefit considerably from the use of ICTs 17. Internal accounting and payroll operations are usually the first to be computerised because of their information intensive nature. At the same time, computers would also normally be used for word processing and budget planning (usually a spreadsheet, although some accounting systems would also have this functionality) 17. Depending on the responsibilities of the particular local government authority, other internal functions that could use ICTs to assist in operations would include: Staff support (scheduler, contact management, , web access) Scanning, documentation and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Mapping Waste management Council property management Roads and pavement management (including parking) Vehicle and fuel management (fleet management systems) 17 Inspections. Functions which may be amenable to the introduction of E-Governance could include: Urban planning - land titles, subdivisions and zoning applications Building permit applications Council property rent applications and payments Hawking permit applications Local elections/voting Public health information and announcements Public transport information 17 Tenders. E-Government and E-Governance have been used interchangeably in this study. There is only a slight difference between the two terms. The differences are highlighted in the definitions of the concepts as shown below: What is E-Government/ E-Governance? The term E-Government is of recent origin and there exists no standard definition since the conceptual understanding is still evolving. Heeks simply defines E-Govern- 15 Same as reference Infodev, E-Government Toolkit, 2008; 17 Jensen M Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as Tools for Improving Local Governance in Africa, UNESCO, NEEDS%BASSESSMENT%2BAFR-final.pdf

17 ment as the use of IT by public sector organisations 18. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defines E-Government as the use of new information and communication technologies by governments as applied to the full range of government functions 19. Governance is the societal synthesis of politics, policies, and programs and E-Governance is the application of ICT to the system of governance to ensure a wider participation and deeper involvement of citizens, institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as well as private firms in the decision making process. Through E-Government applications, governments today are able to deliver a wide range of services e.g. ration cards, motor licenses and land records, health, education etc. A well-conceived and strategic use of ICTs in government results in a more inclusive, effective, efficient, transparent, accountable and people centred public administration. It can also serve as a vehicle for meeting the Millennium Development Goals across sectors such as governance, economic development, health, education and the environment 20. While E-Government is often perceived as Internet-based government, many non-ip based technologies can be used in this context including telephone, fax, PDA, SMS, GPRS and WiFi. Other technologies can include RFID, biometric identification and smart (identity) cards. Another example is the e-voting process widely used in large democracies such as India which is entirely conducted offline through polling station technologies. There are also some technology-specific sub-categories of E-Government, such as m-government (mobile government), u-government (ubiquitous government), and g-government (GIS/GPS) applications for E-Government Critical success factors for E-Government The full potential of e-government can be realized through a focused attention on people, process, technology and resources appropriately 21. Many have asserted that successful e-government is at most 20% technology and at least 80% about people, processes, and resources. According to the National Institute for smart government in India the collective experience of e-governance projects implemented so far around the world shows that the varied challenges faced by the entire gamut of projects can be represented in the theoretical framework depicted below. The framework rests on four pillars: people, process, technology and resources. What is important, therefore, is to recognize that e-government is an enabler rather than an end in itself. E-Government systems differ from commercial information systems in that they frequently encompass strategic goals that go beyond efficiency, effectiveness and economy, and include political and social objectives such as trust in government, social inclusion, community regeneration, community well-being and sustainability. E- Government is an evolutionary, multi-faceted process and can be viewed as consisting of a set of phases. E-Government initiatives sometimes span the entire government of a country, sometimes only the central government, sometimes a single sector ministry across the country and sometimes the provincial, municipal or village levels only. Designing E-Government systems that help to meet these objectives is therefore a significant challenge. 18 Heeks R Implementing and managing E-Government 19 OECD (2001a). Project on the Impact of e-government, Public Management Service, Public Management Committee, 13 December, PUMA, 10/REV2. 20 E-governance in Africa: from theory to action: a handbook on ICTs for local governance, GOVERNANCE-IN-AFRICA-FROM-THEORY-TO- ACTION-A-Handbook-on-ICTs-for-Local-Governance 21 National Institute for smart government, India, Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 17

18 Figure 1: The Big Picture of e-governance Source: National Institute for smart government, India. 18 People: As e-government projects are rolled out across the country, people within and outside the government play an increasingly important role in ensuring the success of these projects. The scale of transformation is huge. Enormous resources not only in terms of money but also the expertise, skills and commitment of the people will be required. Hence, management of people is the biggest challenge to the success of the e-government Program 21. Process: E-Government is not just about the automation of manual records and existing processes, with all their inefficiencies. Rather, it is about transforming government processes and creating new relationships between the government and its citizens and businesses. Hence, a fresh set of process parameters and related workflow should be created, without creating unmanageable and chaotic changes, to maintain the consistency and sustainability of the process 21. Technology: ICT is a key element of reform efforts that can help dramatically reshape government to improve performance and reduce costs. This challenge in a sense boils down to one of creating an IT Governance structure for the e-governance sector 21. Resources: New technologies demand new types of implementation models. Budget constraints within government, barriers to entry of private investment in e- Government sector, lack of skills for program and project management, absence of frameworks that enable designing e-government projects on a self-financing model are among the important challenges in the resource area 21. In sum, there are a plethora of challenges to the successful implementation of large e-government programs 22. In order for a country/government to excel at e-government, policy makers will usually need to join forces with public administrators to change mindsets and behaviours while offering civil servants the opportunity to acquire the skills needed in the modern organization 22. In addition, successful adoption of e-government in any country shall involve the active participation and contribution of a number of key players and stakeholders in the entire process. Some of the im- 22 E-Government Survey 2010, UN, Part%20I.pdf

19 portant stakeholders as depicted in figure 2 below are: Political Leaders, Government Departments/Agencies; Legislative Bodies, Private Sector, International Organisations and NGOs. Figure 2: Stakeholders of E-Government Source: E-Government Toolkit for Developing Countries. 2.6 Front Office Versus Back Office Front-office refers to the government as its constituents see it, meaning the information and service providers, and the interaction between government and both citizens and businesses. Front-office implementation of E-Government involves two issues: 1) on-line services 2) citizen engagement 23 Successful E-Government programs give considerable attention to back office support. Back office refers both to the behind-the-scenes technology needed to maintain electronic services and to the workflow processes used to deliver a service or otherwise achieve a particular objective. At the initial stages of E-Government, there may be a tendency for government agencies to quickly create web sites and other applications that face outwards towards the citizen without addressing the questions of how data will be processed by the bureaucracy behind the scenes. Too often, multiple agencies and departments or units within ministries create their own web sites and adopt their own software, without regard to interoperability. Resources are wasted reinventing service delivery systems. 2.7 E-Government Interaction Models E-Government is an evolutionary, multi-faceted process and can be viewed as consisting of a set of phases. Although E-Government is complex and involves a large number of entities and processes, there are primarily four types of interaction which form the foundation of E-Government deployment. 23 Electronic Government Front Office, UNeGov.net-School-Concepts-56, Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 19

20 G2G: Government to Government interaction involving sharing of data and conduct of electronic information exchange amongst various government departments and other entities. This exchange could be both intra and inter agency, at the national level as well as exchanges among the national, provincial and local levels 24. G2C: Government to Citizen interaction where electronic dissemination of information and electronic delivery of services takes place. Initiatives in this form of interaction attempt to make transactions such as obtaining certificates, renewing licenses, paying taxes/bills and applying for government schemes less time consuming and convenient. Also included is the key component of citizen participation in the processes and policy formulation by the government 24. G2B: Government to Business interaction involving improved and efficient procurement of goods and services by the government from the commercial business entities. It also includes sale of government goods to the public and has the potential for reducing costs through improved procurement practices and increased competition. Further, this type of interaction involves the transaction and exchange between the government and the businesses regarding licenses, taxation and policies issued for various sectors 24. G2E: Government to Employee interaction covering employment opportunities, work guidelines, rules and regulations, benefits and pay structures for the government employees, employee welfare schemes, work rules and regulations, government housing etc. 24 Others have labeled the E-Government interaction models as G2B, G2G, G2C and G2X where G2X is government to any (e.g. Tourists, foreign investors etc). 24 E-government Toolkit for Developing Countries, UNESCO, 2005, 20

21 The table below shows a taxonomy of E-Government possibilities in Africa, where the different interaction models are depicted: Table 1: Taxonomy of e-government possibilities in Africa Source: E-Government in Africa: Prospects, challenges and practices, Kitaw Yayehyirad, 2006, Benefits of E-Government E-Government promises many benefits. Some of the major benefits are discussed below: Improved and Enhanced delivery of Government Services Electronic delivery of information and services by the government facilitates equitable access. Once the services are available through Internet, kiosks, integrated service Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 21

22 centers, mobile devices, it becomes very convenient for people in urban as well as rural parts of the country to avail themselves to these services. Application of ICT for delivery of services also facilitates the government becoming more responsive towards citizens 24. Empowerment of citizens through greater access to government information and ability to interact and participate Effective use of technology in government, and sharing of information with stakeholders, results in the empowerment of citizens through easy and enhanced access to government information and the ability to easily interact and participate in the process of governance. Enhanced interaction among citizens and government as well as increased participation of the citizens in government functioning, decision making, policy making etc. promotes civic engagement and strengthens democracy 24. Enhanced Transparency & Increased Accountability of the Government Application of ICT in the processes of government also helps in enhancing transparency in government functioning, interaction with the citizens and businesses. Sharing information such as government processes, procedures, regulations as well as provision for tracking the status of application/request, introduces a lot of transparency in government functioning. This in turn helps in raising the trust level of citizens towards government and leads to better relationship between the government and citizen as well as government and businesses 24. Increasing the internal efficiency and revenue generation by the government Application of ICT to the internal functioning of the government has been in place for quite some time. And it has been established at many occasions that an effective use of ICT can minimize transaction costs and streamline government operations, thus making government processes more efficient and effective. Judicious deployment of technology can lead to more productivity and a possible reduction and redeployment of the workforce. Further, streamlined operations, timely reports on various aspects of the service can help in initiating timely action that results into much higher revenue collection by the government such as collection of taxes, duties etc 24. Improving the relationship between the government and the citizens Finally, the adoption of E-government and its benefits including higher productivity, efficiency, enhanced transparency, accountability, responsiveness lead to an overall improvement in the image of the government in the minds of the citizens. The trust level imposed by citizens and businesses in the government can significantly go up due to the increased ease and efficiency of interaction while dealing with the government. Raised trust levels lead to improved relationship between government and citizen as well as between government and businesses, fulfilling one of the major objectives of good governance 24. Thus, it makes tremendous sense for the government sector all over the world to adopt E-government and embrace ICT advancements for streamlining their processes, connecting all the stakeholders, cutting costs, improving the delivery of services, and most importantly, realizing the vision of good governance. Further, with the success stories of E-government in different parts of the world, the international call for governments to respond to standards of accountability, transparency and participatory governance as critical elements for democracy and state legitimacy, have all contributed to the growing popularity of E-government

23 2.9 E-Government Development Phases E-Government applications and projects generally pass through various stages in their process of maturity. A Gartner Group Report from 2000 identified four phases of E- government development that considered the level of information technology used by the government to relay information online (see Table 1 below). The Gartner Group report identified key development stages for E-government programs describing the level of technological advancement, information and communication abilities, and the kinds of services offered in each phase 24. Figure 3: E-Government maturity model Source: E-Government Toolkit for Developing Countries, UNESCO, Phase I: Information This phase entails usage of ICT to expand access to government information which is of importance to individuals and businesses. An efficient utilization of Internet and communication technologies can make it possible to disseminate government information to global audience in a fast and convenient manner 24. Although, the ways and means of disseminating this information keep on evolving further with the advancements in technology, an ideal way for a developing country municipality to enter this phase would be the setting up of a municipal portal providing a ready and comprehensive access to information online, ranging from profile of the municipality, demographic information, tourist information, policies, the executive council, publications by the local government authority, local services and local government schemes for the citizens/businesses. Setting up of this portal shall enable citizens and businesses to readily access local government information without having to travel to government offices, stand in long queues or resort to malpractices to get the task done. This simple initiative can prove to be a revolutionary advancement for local governments wrecked by complex bureaucracy and corruption 24. Phase II: Interaction The second phase pertains to enhancing the public involvement in the process of government functioning. Through use of technology, the interaction between the governments and citizens/businesses can be stimulated and made more effective. People can submit their queries and grievances through or specially designed forms, check the status of their grievance, voice their opinions and help in policy formulation on important issues through online opinion polls and discussion forums and avail a whole Strenghtening e-governance in the North-South Local Government Co-operation Programme 23